Wine Tasting Routes

The Willamette Valley is a big and beautiful place; and it’s home to more than 300 wineries and tasting rooms. Below are some wine tasting routes to help you explore the corners of the Willamette Valley and make the most of your wine tasting adventure.

Northern Willamette Valley – Gateway to Wine Country

From Portland, head west on Highway 26 and connect through the back roads to Highway 47, enjoying the lovely views and wines in Portland’s back yard. If you keep heading south, your wine tasting stamina (and designated driver) will lead you through the wineries of Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Gaston, Yamhill, Carlton and beyond. View map.

Southern Willamette Valley – Southern Sipping

The perfect route for the adventurous wine taster seeking some of the valley’s most distinct wines. From the north, it’s a short drive down I-5 to Salem and west to Highway 99W, where you can get off the beaten path and visit the many wineries near Monmouth, Albany, Monroe and surrounding areas. Or start from the south in Eugene to find urban and rural tasting rooms surrounding Oregon’s second-largest city. You will be thankful you came! View map.

Eola-Amity Hills – Head for the Hills!

Experience the back-road charm and mountain range vistas at wineries outside Salem. Make this hidden gem your destination from either Portland to the north or Eugene to the south. Head toward Salem on I-5 and then west up into the hills. For an unforgettable entrance into wine country, take your friends and family across the Wheatland Ferry. View map.

The Back Door to Dundee Hills & Chehalem Mountains

With stunning valley views and an abundance of vines, this northern area showcases diverse soils and distinctive wines. Enjoy the ride and avoid some traffic with a back-road route: in Newberg take Springbrook Road to Zimri Drive and then turn left onto North Valley Road. Take Dopp Road to Highway 240 and turn left on Worden Hill Road, winding among picturesque vineyards all the way up and down the hills to downtown Dundee. View map.

Road to Carlton and McMinnville – Urban & Rural Escape

Carlton and McMinnville offer a unique wine tasting experience: tasting rooms pouring world class wines all within a walk around the block (or two). Enjoy the scenic back roads of Highway 240 out of Newberg to Kuehne Road into Carlton, and then back to Highway 99 into McMinnville. Don’t miss the tasting rooms dotting the foothills of the Coast Range Mountains outside of town. Can’t make it to all of your favorite wineries in one day? Make this the perfect two-day urban and rural escape. View map.